Support of small businesses at the regional level: international experience and Russian features

Vera A. Barinova - Head of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration; Head of the Centre for Small and Medium Entrepreneurship, Russian Foreign Trade Academy of the Ministry for the Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Candidate of Economic Sciences (Moscow, Russia). Е-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Aleksandеr N. Krasnoselskih - Researcher of the Russian Foreign Trade Academy of the Ministry for the Economic Development of the Russian Federation; Junior Research fellow of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (Moscow, Russia). E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The research demonstrated that in the international experience support of small and medium businesses is more widespread by way of credits and guarantees as well as by educational and consulting programs. Financial support in the form of grants increases businesses’ profit but negatively affects their productivity. Programs aimed at business activvity infrastructure  are the most popular in Russia.

Key words: small and medium businesses, microbusinesses, business support.